Aaron Little released after Humboldt Street homicide bust: Did police jump the gun?

Update:Yesterday, when reporting about the bust of Aaron Little for second-degree homicide (see our previous coverage below), we noted the relative dearth of details about the incident, which took place on the 1500 block of Humboldt Street.

Now, we've got more information, and it's sure to raise more questions about the arrest. That's because Little has now been set free, with the Denver Police Department suggesting that the victim in the case may not have been a homicide victim after all.

As we noted, police responded to the scene at around 10:36 a.m. on Wednesday, where they found a dead man -- and shortly thereafter, Little was taken into custody.

In our previous item, we pointed out that the cause of death hadn't been shared, but "circumstances presumably argue against natural causes."

Check that. Late yesterday afternoon, the DPD issued a press release revealing that "after further investigation," Little had been released without charges.

"The exact cause of victim's death is pending the results of the Medical Examiners Report," the message continues. "At this time, it appears the victim died of natural causes."

Did authorities act prematurely in arresting Little -- a fact that was heavily publicized? No doubt that possibility will be at the center of any subsequent review. Here's our previous coverage.

Original post, 5:39 a.m. February 27: Sometimes after homicides, we're flooded with information about the circumstances of the case.

Other times, we're told little -- and that's literally the case in a death that occurred yesterday morning, since the person in police custody for the incident is named Aaron Little.

What happened? Here's what we know so far, in words and images.

At 10:36 a.m. yesterday, according to the Denver Police Department, officers received a call about a man down outside 1555 Humboldt Street, an area captured in the following Google Maps image:

The man in question was already dead when the cops arrived. And while the cause of death has not been shared at this point (the Denver coroner's office will make that revelation once the victim's family is contacted), circumstances presumably argue against natural causes.

That's because the death is being investigated as a homicide. And Little, age 25, was arrested for investigation of homicide in the second degree.

Here's a look at a photo from Little's Facebook page:

The most recent activity on the public part of the page took place on Monday, February 24, when Little changed his profile photo to this:

Our condolences to the victim's friends, family and loved ones. Here's a larger look at Little's mug shot.

Aaron Little.

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Michael Roberts has written for Westword since October 1990, serving stints as music editor and media columnist. He currently covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports and stories that defy categorization.